Kinect Sports Rivals - Xbox Onehttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/default.aspxen-USTelligent Community 1.5.134.12297 (Build: 5.5.134.12297)A .500 Seasonhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2014/04/16/a-500-season.aspxWed, 16 Apr 2014 20:52:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6741884Matt Helgeson0<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/microsoft2014/kinect-sports-rivals/kinectrivalsrev610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12px;">Kinect Sports
Rivals is the follow-up to Xbox 360&#39;s two Kinect Sports titles, which tried and failed to
do for Microsoft&#39;s motion control camera what Wii Sports did for Wii. The
games reportedly sold well, but didn&#39;t do much to establish Kinect as a must-buy
peripheral. Now, developer Rare is back with Kinect Sports Rivals, a game that
relies on the new model camera that ships with every Xbox One.</span></p>
<p>Kinect Sports
Rival is a showcase for the technology first and foremost, letting users
compete in six sporting events (wake racing, rock climbing, target shooting,
soccer, bowling, and tennis) played entirely with motion controls. Each works
to a varying degree of success, but the package is much better in terms of fine
control than its predecessor.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>Overall, it&#39;s a
decent testimony to the accuracy of the Kinect 2.0. Sadly, I don&#39;t work for <i>A Decent Testimony To The Accuracy Of The
Kinect 2.0 Informer Magazine</i>. As a game, it&#39;s never more than mediocre.
Wake racing is well done, and reminded me how much I used to love Wave Race and
Splashdown, but as my arms grew tired throughout a series of races, I wished
that I could play the game with a controller. The tedious target shooting
controls well, but is of little interest. Tennis, which should be a gimme for a
game like this, is the one that seems to have the worst controls. Climbing
won&#39;t be for everyone, but I was impressed by how the Kinect tracked my arm and
hand motions while I reached for purchase on a series of handholds. Soccer is
an oddly designed, foosball-like experience that requires awkward leg
contortions to score goals. At least there&#39;s bowling -&nbsp;good old, reliable
bowling.</p>
<p>Rare went the
extra mile in creating the game&#39;s structure. There&#39;s a (somewhat cheesy) story,
tons of items and clothing to buy with in-game cash, and an online hub for
comparing yourself against others and uploading game footage. That&#39;s fine and
good, but it feels like a lot of a sizzle for such a small piece of steak. If
this had been packed in with the Xbox One to demonstrate the new Kinect, it
would seem like a nice extra. As a standalone game, it&#39;s just not compelling.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6741884" width="1" height="1">ActionmicrosoftKinect Sports RivalsXbox Onesportsreviewkinect sportsmicrosoft studios254Former Dr. Who David Tennant Lending His Voice To Kinect Sports Rivalshttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2014/03/23/former-dr-who-david-tennant-lending-his-voice-to-kinect-sports-rivals.aspxSun, 23 Mar 2014 21:59:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6703615Kyle Hilliard48http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6703615http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2014/03/23/former-dr-who-david-tennant-lending-his-voice-to-kinect-sports-rivals.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/microsoft2014/kinect-sports-rivals/tennant/tennantsports_610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>David Tennant, a former Dr. Who (and apparent Dr. Pepper aficionado), will be the narrator for Kinect Sports Rivals.</p>
<p>In the video below, which shows off a little bit of the game, Tennant shares his personal athletic achievements, as well as his own experiences with video games. In the video he says the last game that really grabbed his attention was Batman: Arkham Asylum.</p>
<p>For more on Kinect Sports Rivals, <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/themes/blogs/generic/post.aspx?WeblogApp=xboxone&amp;y=2014&amp;m=03&amp;d=17&amp;WeblogPostName=breaking-a-sweat-with-kinect-sports-rivals&amp;GroupKeys=games/kinect_sports_rivals/">head here to read our most recent hands-on (body-on?) preview</a>. Kinect Sports Rivals arrives on Xbox One <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/themes/blogs/generic/post.aspx?WeblogApp=xboxone&amp;y=2014&amp;m=02&amp;d=12&amp;WeblogPostName=kinect-sports-rivals-coming-april-8&amp;GroupKeys=games/kinect_sports_rivals/">April 8</a>.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p><i>[Source: <a target="_blank" href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/03/games-kinect-sports-rivals-david-tennant">Xbox Wire</a>]</i></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6703615" width="1" height="1">PreviewActionKinect Sports RivalsXbox Onedoctor whodr whodr. whoBreaking A Sweat In Bowling, Tennis, Soccer, Climbing, And Wave Racinghttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2014/03/17/breaking-a-sweat-with-kinect-sports-rivals.aspxMon, 17 Mar 2014 13:00:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6692626Mike Futter12http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6692626http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2014/03/17/breaking-a-sweat-with-kinect-sports-rivals.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/microsoft2014/kinect-sports-rivals/march-preview/KSRSoccer-610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Recently, I had the chance to go hands (and feet) on with a new Kinect Sports Rivals preview. During our time with the game, we experienced the bowling, soccer, tennis, climbing, and wave racing minigames.</p>
<p>The entire experience starts with a body and facial scanning process. This took only a couple of minutes and required some simple selections activated with a Kinect hand motion control. The end result was impressive, yielding an avatar that looked enough like me to be easily recognizable. (If this makes its way into other games with create-a-character, the value of Kinect skyrockets.)</p>
<p>Once that was complete, we dove right into bowling. Those planning on picking the game up on April 8 will need to go through a tutorial and a team selection process. These will last approximately an hour each.</p>
<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/microsoft2014/kinect-sports-rivals/march-preview/Roadshow%20Bowling.png" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Each of the Kinect Sports Rivals minigames features different equipment and power ups. The bowling game is similar to what we&rsquo;ve seen in other motion controlled 10-pin experiences. I was impressed by the way Kinect detected hand spin and throw velocity. The developer opposite me even demonstrated throwing overhand, which the camera picked up accurately.</p>
<p>Activating one of the three powers (speed ball; hand switcher, which makes your opponent bowl with the opposite hand for a frame; and meteor, which cracks the alley) can be handled with voice or by stomping a foot once the meter is charged. These don&rsquo;t seem to have a dramatic effect on the game, but can be used to rack up more pins or confound your opponent. Each of the games has a similar mechanic, with powers than can either boost you ahead or impede your foe.</p>
<p>The wave racing and climbing minigames both read movement well, but it takes time to get used to steering and reaching for a handhold without tactile response. Unlike past iterations of motion controlled titles, you can&rsquo;t game the system. The Kinect 2.0 is simply too accurate, detecting even small movements like opening and closing your hands.</p>
<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/microsoft2014/kinect-sports-rivals/march-preview/Roadshow%20Wakerace.png" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Laying a mine in front of an opponent or yanking him from the climbing wall are gleeful experiences. There are brief reminders of why local competitive play is so much fun, though they don&rsquo;t persist quite long enough.</p>
<p>The tennis game is a bit disappointing, because of input lag. I had a hard time figuring out when to time my swings, and compensating for that delay made this the least enjoyable of the experiences.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/microsoft2014/kinect-sports-rivals/march-preview/Roadshow%20Tennis.png" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>For those that do get hooked, there is a great seal of depth in Kinect Sports Rivals&rsquo; competitive modes. Local play, online competitions, and a concept similar to Forza Motorsport 5&rsquo;s drivatars means that there will always be something to do or someone to compete against, even if no one is home and your friends are offline.</p>
<p>Playing earns coins to unlock new outfits, and as you compete and succeed, you&rsquo;ll earn fans to power your online persona. Kinect Sports Rivals is shaping up to be the tech demo the new version of Microsoft&rsquo;s camera needs, but it comes months late. If you&rsquo;ve got a family (or have simply enjoyed the motion controlled sports offerings for the original Kinect), this is worth keeping an eye on. It&rsquo;s unlikely to be a must-buy for the core market, though.</p>
<p>We&rsquo;ll know for sure when Kinect Sports Rivals arrives on April 8.&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6692626" width="1" height="1">PreviewActionmicrosoftKinect Sports RivalsrareXbox OneKinect Sports Rivals Coming April 8http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2014/02/12/kinect-sports-rivals-coming-april-8.aspxWed, 12 Feb 2014 15:00:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6573660Mike Futter31http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6573660http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2014/02/12/kinect-sports-rivals-coming-april-8.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/microsoft2014/kinect-sports-rivals/KinectSportsRivals-610.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p>Microsoft and Rare have dated the Xbox One&rsquo;s inaugural first-party Kinect title. Rare&rsquo;s Kinect Sport Rivals will be coming in the first days of spring.</p>
<p>The follow up to the pair of Kinect Sports entries on Xbox 360 was at one time expected to accompany the launch of Microsoft&rsquo;s latest console. It was bumped of the November 22 launch date <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/07/25/kinect-sports-rivals-is-no-longer-an-xbox-one-launch-title.aspx">back in July 2013</a>.</p>
<p>Players will choose one of three teams with which to partner: Viper Network, Eagle Legion, or Wolf Clan. You can check out a new trailer to see each of the duos espouse their leadership prowess while bowling, playing tennis, and shooting water guns. You can read more in <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/themes/blogs/generic/post.aspx?WeblogApp=xboxone&amp;y=2013&amp;m=08&amp;d=20&amp;WeblogPostName=kinect-sports-rivals-preview&amp;GroupKeys=games/kinect_sports_rivals/">our preview from Gamescom 2013</a>.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6573660" width="1" height="1">PreviewActionmicrosoftKinect Sports RivalsrareXbox OneNew Kinect Sports Rivals Video Shows Off The Environmenthttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2014/02/08/new-kinect-sports-rivals-video-shows-off-the-environment.aspxSat, 08 Feb 2014 23:04:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6567749Kyle Hilliard36http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6567749http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2014/02/08/new-kinect-sports-rivals-video-shows-off-the-environment.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/microsoft2013/kinectsportsrivals/ksr_610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Kinect Sports Rivals, <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/07/25/kinect-sports-rivals-is-no-longer-an-xbox-one-launch-title.aspx">the former Xbox One launch title</a>, is coming soon, and a new video shows off the game&#39;s environments.</p>
<p>All of the sports games take place on a single island, and as the weather changes and day turns to night, it will affect aspects of the game. High winds, for example, can knock rock wall climbers from high heights (presumably to their deaths, although the video does not specify) and into the waters below.</p>
<p>Microsoft and developer Rare don&#39;t have an exact release date for the game, but is should be arriving this Spring.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p><i>[Source: <a target="_blank" href="http://majornelson.com/2014/02/07/take-a-tour-of-kinect-sports-rivals-island/">Major Nelson</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://news.xbox.com/2014/02/games-ksr-tour">Xbox Wire</a>]</i></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6567749" width="1" height="1">kinectPreviewActionKinect Sports RivalsXbox OnewalkthroughrivalssportsJumping Waves With The New Kinecthttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2013/08/20/kinect-sports-rivals-preview.aspxTue, 20 Aug 2013 11:09:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:3971372Tim Turi8http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=3971372http://www.gameinformer.com/games/kinect_sports_rivals/b/xboxone/archive/2013/08/20/kinect-sports-rivals-preview.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/microsoft2013/kinectsportsrivals/champion-100-610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12px;">Rare&rsquo;s Kinect Sports was a premiere title used to showcase the Xbox 360&rsquo;s motion-detecting Kinect camera. The developer is at it again with Kinect Sports Rivals for the Xbox One. The game features the ability to scan your face so your digital avatar can jet ski, rock climb and more. I had my likeness copied and then stepped up to the wave race challenge during a pre-Gamescom preview event in Cologne, Germany.</span></p>
<p>Kinect Sports Rivals harnesses the new Kinect&rsquo;s enhanced hardware to recognize players&rsquo; faces, hair color, and skin tone. The camera studies your face while asking you to look up, down, and to the sides. After one failed attempt, the Kinect eventually produced a stylized version of myself. It got the basics like my blonde hair and pale skin, but the face seemed a little generic. I doubt anyone would look at champion Tim and <a href="https://twitter.com/timturi">recognize me</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/microsoft2013/kinectsportsrivals/kinectsportsrivals610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Kinect Sports Rivals includes new old favorites like soccer and tennis, along with new games like rock climbing, shooting, and wave racing. We checked out the latter. Players steer the invisible jet ski like a bike, weaving through sunken ships, avoiding floating mines, and doing stunts off ramps. Performing stunts earns you a speed boost, which is easily activated by lifting your leg. The Xbox One&rsquo;s Kinect feels much more precise. The game recognized the slightest adjustments in my imaginary steering, including an open or closed hand which controlled throttle. I could even lean left or right to take sharper turns, a movement that felt natural the first time I tried it. I felt at home with Kinect Sports Rivals right away, and took first place with little effort thanks to the accurate motion controls.</p>
<p>Rare&rsquo;s game collection features two-player events, uploads your performances to the cloud for your friends to compete against, and four-player online play. Kinect Sports Rivals won&rsquo;t be an Xbox One Launch title, but will release next year. Hopefully &nbsp;the other games play as well as the solid wave race event.</p>
<div></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3971372" width="1" height="1">gamescom2013kinectPreviewActionmicrosoftKinect Sports RivalsrareXbox One